


the spiro operation

by pallidrose



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: Atlantis Complex, Captivity, F/M, Kidnapping, Mental Health Issues, Minerva Paradizo Needs A Hug, Post-Canon, Post-The Last Guardian, Rescue Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26237791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pallidrose/pseuds/pallidrose
Summary: Artemis defeated the Atlantic Complex years ago. Since then, he's saved the world, died, and returned to walk the Earth again, the Complex long behind him.And it would have stayed that way, if not for a certain Jon Spiro.
Relationships: Artemis Fowl II & Minerva Paradizo, Artemis Fowl II/Minerva Paradizo
Comments: 34
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Outskirts of Dublin, Ireland**

Butler awoke and instantly knew something was wrong. 

The sun, resting atop the eastern skyline, beamed enthusiastically at him through the windshield of the Fowl Bentley. A bright sight, to be sure, had there been absolutely no reason for him to be in the Bentley in the first place. And- most importantly- had he any recollection of entering or driving the vehicle.

 _You’re trained for this,_ he reminded himself. He was a bodyguard, for the Fowls, no less- and in particular, to one who dealt with magic on the daily. This was no less unusual than any other situation he’d found himself in before. 

A quick glance over his shoulder told him that the backseat was empty- expect for a mysterious stain he couldn’t recall having noticed before. And surely such a thing would have been attended to earlier. Except that Butler could recall very little of anything right now. And with such a large variable at play, anything could be a clue.

He made his way out and around to the rear, where a search of the trunk provided just as inconclusive.

He stepped back, wiping his forehead. Out here in the open, the sun shone even brighter in his eyes. His vision swam, the roadside swaying beneath his feat, and he was forced to lean against the Bentley for support. 

_What on Earth…_

He steadied himself, taking deep breaths, and slowly, his vision returned. He knew this feeling. The disorientation, the dizziness, the gaping hole in his memory.

Butler had been _mesmerized._ Which meant Artemis was at risk.

He pulled out his cell- luckily still on him, and apparently in working order- and punched in Artemis’s number. Three attempts later, there was still no response.

Butler willed himself to stay calm, but his mind was already clicking the pieces together.

Artemis's absence. The stain on the seat- blood, if his suspicions were correct. And fairy involvement, as evidenced by the remnants of the _mesmer_.

He scanned the horizon. He knew this place. It wasn't far from the Dublin airport.

_Dammit._

Butler's gaze slid back to his phone. If Artemis couldn’t help him now, he knew someone else who could.

**Suburbs of Haven City**

Holly fell to the floor, the impact knocking the air out of her. She’d lost. Again.

“Not bad. You’re getting better,” Caballine encouraged, dressed in her Nine Sticks uniform. She let her bamboo staff drop and offered a hand to Holly. The elf took it, pulling herself nimbly to her feet.

“Not as good as you.” Holly grinned ruefully. “What’s that, twenty to nil?”

“Twenty-one,” corrected Foaly, sipping a carrot smoothie from the modified centaur-accessible couch. “But who’s counting?”

“Nine Sticks is a centaur art,” Caballine pointed out. “It’s only natural that it will take some time for you to master. Not to mention make your own adaptations- after all, there’s only so much you can do with only two legs.”

Holly nodded, then turned, distracted by a buzz from the toadstool coffee table. It came, she saw, from Foaly’s phone, which displayed a familiar name.

“It’s Butler,” Holly commented with some puzzlement. “ I didn’t know you two kept in touch.”

Foaly had, inexplicably, covered his face with his hands as if he could hide from the phone. “We don’t,” he said in a slightly muffled voice. “You answer it. Last time Butler called me, Artemis was going crazy and the big guy needed me to slip him a highly expensive tracker.” 

Obligingly, Holly took the call.

“Butler, it’s Holly. What happened now? Don’t tell me Beckett died.” She was only half joking.

“Holly,” said Butler’s voice grimly. “I think I’ve kidnapped Artemis.”

You could almost hear the three fairies wrapping their minds around that statement.

Finally, Foaly slumped back, letting his arms flop to the cushions. His smoothie glass lay drained and abandoned beside him.

“Of course you have. Can’t you and Artemis fend for yourself for a day or two? Surely it isn’t that hard.”

“Foaly! Whatever happened to Artemis, it’s not his fault.” Holly frowned. “At least not this time. Maybe.”

“Just what exactly do you mean, Butler?” Caballine demanded. “You _think_ you’ve kidnapped him? Explain.”

“Someone mesmerized me. There are fairies at work here.”

Foaly gave an extended moan. “I should have known it would concern the People. I had a hoof treatment planned this afternoon. Looks like that won’t be happening.” He picked himself up off the sofa. “I’ll be at Police Plaza, busy not getting credit for saving Artemis. And probably Holly, too, at some point. And then Butler and Mulch. Actually, Holly, you might as well grab some gear and head aboveground now. Frond knows you’ll be there soon enough anyway, clearance or not. Love you, Caballine.” With another gloomy sigh, he trotted out the door.

**Irish Airspace**

“Captain Holly Short, flying from Tara to Dublin. The current time is 26:44 WET,” Holly enunciated into her helmet. Foaly’s tech would analyze her statements and save them to the log.

“You don’t have to tell it that,” Foaly’s voice commented in her ear. “It’s recording everything from your location to your metabolism right now. Tell me I don’t think of everything.”

“You didn’t think about Artemis being kidnapped, for one thing. Do you have any details for me? I need a plan for when I get to Dalkey Island.”

“Er… yes. About that.”

“You found something?” 

“Yes, I did. I used some of the same reverse-spike technique that helped us track down Artemis Senior in the Arctic. It’s a remarkable piece of innovation, actually, you should see-”

“Foaly.” Holly’s voice was dangerously low. “Enough about your brilliance. I want cold hard facts.”

“Right. Well, I traced a hack on my computer system-”

“Someone hacked your database? Aren’t you always bragging about how that’s impossible?”

“I thought _you_ wanted me to tell you what was going on. The point is, I think Jon Spiro has Artemis in Chicago.”

Holly stopped in mid-air, inertia swinging her legs forward.“Jon Spiro? Seriously? Why isn’t he in jail?”

“He was. That’s humans for you. Lock up the maniacs and give them time to plan their revenge, then let them loose to execute it.” He snorted. “On parole, my hoof.”

“What else do we know? Are you sure it’s Spiro?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Foaly said. “The probe results have his name written all over them.. There’s something here about Dr. Cumulus- I’ll look at that some more later. But a human couldn’t have hacked my system on his own.”

“Obviously. We already knew fairies were involved. The _mesmer_ , remember?”

“This is more than that. I hate to say it, but only our own technology could’ve done this. LEP tech.”

 _Jon Spiro_. _LEP tech._

“D’Arvit, Foaly. Are you saying Spiro has the C-Cube?”

“That, or something like it.”

“But you have the C-Cube. You expropriated it before the mind-wipes.”

Foaly whinnied. “I know. I did. One way or another, Spiro built a new one. Probably with help from whatever fairy or fairies have taken his side.”

“I’m going to Chicago. How fast can I get to the U.S.A?”

“No, Holly. You need to be at Dalkey Island and meet with Butler. You need to organize with him. You’re not rescuing Artemis by yourself.”

Holly chewed her lip. She hated leaving Artemis in Spiro’s hands, but she knew it was necessary. Of course, that didn't make her feel much better about it. “Fine. Do you still have the files from last time we infiltrated the Needle?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“But what, Foaly?”

“It looks like Spiro’s had some major renovations done. The inside of the Needle’s been just about gutted. It might as well be an entirely different building. I might be able to scan it, but like I said, my system’s obviously been compromised. As much as I hate to say it, we can’t trust anything my gadgets down here come up with. An on-site scan might work, but by the time I can get a visa, it might be too late. Whatever Spiro wants with Artemis, he will get it done quickly, before the authorities catch wind of it.”

“So we have one genius behind bars and the other a hundred miles belowground.”

They both digested that for a minute. Then Holly spoke.

“I’ve got it. I know who to contact.”

“And who might that be, pray tell?”

Holly grinned. “There’s more than one child genius around.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Chicago, Illinois, USA**

Artemis awoke surrounded by white. The Arctic? Was he in Murmansk again?

This was definitely not Russia. Sinister metal implements hung on the walls of the white room, and a sink sat in the opposite corner. As he sat up, paper crumpled on what seemed to be a medical table below him. A clinic, then. But where? And why?

“Awake, I see,” said a voice, American-accented, from the corner. A man leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed.

Artemis felt his blood run colder than Russia had ever been. He had hoped never to lay eyes on this man again. “Jon Spiro,” he croaked. “We meet again. Why, may I ask? Don’t tell me you’re out for revenge.”

Spiro laughed. “Ah, Fowl. Charming and bluntly inquisitive as ever. No, my boy. Unfortunately, revenge does not augment my finances. But fairy technology… now that’s another story.”

Fairies. He knew, then. Or maybe not- there was always a chance Artemis was being tested, his reaction gauged. ‘Really, Jon. And here I was believing your sanity had returned.”  
The businessman only grinned. “You really are too funny, Fowl. There’s no need to waste your breath. I know all about the People. Your own C-Cube- or as I call it, the Evercube- filled me in.”

“The C-Cube? That isn’t possible.”

“Not the original device, of course. My former employee, Xavier Pearson, reconstructed it from memory. Not without its flaws, but he got rid of your clever little eternity code. Pearson’s dead now, of course. Couldn’t have the help getting in the way. But before his accident, he shared his findings with me.” He stepped toward the medical table. “Do you know what the Cube told me? Do you know what I instructed it to do?”

Artemis hardly dared breathe. This was the Lower Elements’ worst nightmare sprung to life.

Spiro continued. “Thanks to the Evercube, I discovered the fairies and hack a certain centaur’s computer files. There I found some very interesting information. First, a certain Artemis Fowl II is an associate of the People. They assisted him in breaking into the Spiro Needle. Second, the centaur suspected that his late archenemy had devised a way to restore her magic after crime subdued it. Something more permanent than mandrake and rice wine. He believed that method could also grant magic to humans and was in development at Koboi Labs six years ago. And who was there at Koboi Labs? Who might have seen and taken note of the groundwork for the pixie’s scheme?”

“Even if I had, I would never tell you. Whatever world-domination plans you might harbor, humans aren’t magical creatures. We lost that ability millenia ago. It should stay that way.”

“Ah, but you didn’t, did you?” Spiro laughed at Artemis’s stricken expression. “Yes, I know about that too. I also know you recently suffered from Atlantis Complex, which revealed your alter ego, Orion. Orion had slowly needled his way into your consciousness, aware of and observing the outside world, for quite some time. Maybe even six years.”  
Artemis shook his head, half in disgust, half in amazement. “You didn’t figure this out on your own, Cube or not. You must have had inside help, someone to bring the C-Cube within range of Foaly’s computer.”

“Correct. A member of my engineering team came forward and confessed himself to be a fairy dwarf. He recognized the Evercube’s abilities and was willing to sneak it into Police Plaza, where it could tell me more. For a price, of course. His name was Diggums, I believe. Yes, Nord Diggums. But I digress. You see, Fowl, you may not be prepared to share Opal’s theory, even if you do know what it is, but Orion may not feel so strongly. Especially if I convince him that Captain Short’s life depends upon it.”  
Now it was Artemis’s turn to laugh, and it was a sound to send shivers down anyone’s spine. “You’re too late, Jon. I am entirely cured, and have been for months. Orion is a thing of the past.”

“Oh, no. You see, Nord also infiltrated the clinic of the People’s own Dr. Cumulus. The doctor, it turns out, has recently been experimenting with illegal psychochemicals. With the Evercube’s help, it was easy to mix up an Atlantis-inducing drug cocktail based on his research.” He nodded at Artemis’s upper arm, just below his shoulder, where the boy felt a bandage under the pajama sleeve. “I had the procedure performed an hour ago. Harmless to the body, devastating to the mind. Soon you’ll begin to experience delusions, psychosis, and paranoia. Of course, the paranoia may be justified, considering your own bodyguard lured you out of the house. Nord was behind that, as well. A bite of mandrake and rice wine restored his magic just enough for the _mesmer._ ”

“I presume you are telling me this to frighten me. To shake me into submission, as it were, by revealing the sheer extent of your conspiracy. I must confess, I thought you were smarter than that.”

Spiro chuckled. “Just because revenge is profitless doesn’t mean I’m willing to forfeit it completely. I want to see the look on your face when the hallucinations set in, when you feel Orion wrestling for control, when you find yourself spiraling into madness again.. I want to watch your sanity peel away until the great Artemis Fowl is nothing but gibbering lunatic.” A wildfire consumed his eyes. “I want you to know you are fated to die raving like the maniac you will be. Nothing you do can possibly change this. Your fate is in my hands, and it is already decided. To remind you of that, besides the psychochemicals, I had a modified LEP sleeper-seeker implanted in your arm. Which means-” he lifted his hand, holding a gadget reminiscent of a walkie-talkie- “I can also do this.” His pointer finger tapped a button, and in seconds, Artemis was slumping against the wall, asleep.

**Tourrettes sur Loup, France**

The sound of a ringtone jarred Minerva Paradizo awake. Before she was fully conscious, her hand disentangled itself from the bedcovers and scrambled to locate the phone before it woke any of the chateau’s other occupants. It found her glasses first, which it jammed onto her nose before returning to the nightstand and snatching the cell phone.  
Holding a fistful of ratty curls away from her face, she squinted at the phone screen. She had programmed it to override the vibrate setting whenever one of two specific numbers called. Sure enough, Butler’s name stretched across the display. “Domovoi?” she hissed after answering. “It’s two in the morning!”

“Sorry, Minerva.” The bodyguard sounded more grim than apologetic. “I need a favor. You’re at Chateau Paradizo, I assume?”

“Yes, of course. Where else would I be? It has been four years since the Kong incident, and still Papa refuses to let me out of his sight. He’s even stopped offering trips to Disneyland, if you can believe it. Though the pony is another matter.”

“Can you get away for a day or two?”

Minerva sat up, feeling her stomach drop. She knew that tone. Something was definitely wrong. She took a deep breath before answering. “Domovoi. Is he dead? Say he isn’t dead.”

“Artemis is alive, I promise. But he might not be if you don’t get to the gates with your passport, ASAP.”

“Why? What’s at the gate?”

“My sister, Juliet. No time to explain now. She’ll brief you on the way to the airport. She has a blue sports car and wears a ring in her hair. Hurry, Minerva. And don’t tell a soul. For Artemis’s sake.”

“The airport? Mon Dieu, Domovoi, what-” The line went dead.

Minerva fell back onto the pillows, palm pressed to her forehead. Typical. Just typical of Artemis Fowl to get her caught up in this sort of situation. She couldn’t just abandon her family, especially with so little information. But could she abandon Artemis either? The answer was no. Besides Domovoi, Artemis was her best friend. She couldn't ignore him now, when he needed her the most.

Minerva slid out of bed and tied back her hair, then threw on some passably presentable clothes. She heaved open her window, grateful that her room was on the first floor.  
Years ago, Artemis had saved her life. It was time to return the favor,

Minerva found the blue sports car waiting, as Butler had asserted. A woman, blonde and alarmingly muscular, stood beside it, bathed in a flashlight beam.  
“Well, call up Miss Paradizo, then. I’m supposed to be here, dimwit.”

“I apologize, Mademoiselle,” replied the guard nervously from the other side of the bars. “But it’s more than my life’s worth to jeopardize the Paradizos’ safety.”

Minerva gave the woman a once-over. Her age was somewhere in the early twenties. Her broad build and sinewy arms suggested an occupation of intense, rigorous physical exercise. Her irises were dark, but Minerva could not quite pick out the color despite the rays of the flashlight. Blue, perhaps. A deep, dark blue. Minerva’s breath caught. Those were Domovoi’s eyes. Which meant this woman was Juliet.

“Monsieur,” Minerva announced smoothly, strolling up to the gate. “I must request that you open the gates for me. Mademoiselle Butler is a friend of mine.” That was stretching things a bit. Minerva had never seen Juliet Butler in her life. But the guard didn’t need to know that.

“ _Euh… Oui_ , Mademoiselle,” he stuttered, jamming his key into the padlock. “I was just getting to that.”

Minerva rolled her eyes. “Of course. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be on my way.” She stepped toward Juliet, then stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, and Monsieur?” she asked in French.

“Mademoiselle?”

“Not a word of this to anyone. That includes the staff.” Inwardly, Minerva groaned at herself. _Way to be melodramatic, Minerva. Honestly, one would think this was an action movie._

Instead, she hopped into Juliet’s passenger seat, smiling sweetly at the guard through the bulletproof window. Then Juliet slammed her door shut and hit the gas, leaving Chateau Paradizo behind.

Minerva turned to the woman. “So,” she said in English. “Mademoiselle Butler. Would you care to explain any of this? As well as why you drove an electric-blue convertible for a sensitive mission. It can’t exactly be called discreet.”

Beside her, Juliet smiled, eyes on the road ahead. “The Solara was one of Artemis’s bequests to me. I figured I might as well break it in.”

“You chose to _break in_ your new vehicle during a secret operation?”

“Dom’s right. You really are just like Artemis. Blunt and interrogative. Except he’s never called anyone mademoiselle. To my knowledge, at least.” She snorted.

“Artemis and I may both be genii, but we are not the same person.”

“True. But think about it: you’re both rich European child prodigies who captured a fairy and got kidnapped.”

Minerva straightened in her seat. “When was Artemis kidnapped? I don’t recall…” She trailed off, realization dawning. “I suppose that answers my original questions.”

Juliet nodded gravely. “Spot on. Did Dom ever mention a Jon Spiro? Or the C-Cube?”

“Spiro…” Minerva tugged on a loose curl. “The American businessman whose bodyguard shot Domovoi.”

“Less a businessman than a crook, and until recently, an inmate. He got parole a few months ago, and apparently he has a bone to pick.”

“So he abducted Artemis?”

“Foaly- that’s the geeky centaur- did some surveillance, and he thinks he’s figured it out. He traced a hack on his computer and used it to peek around Spiro’s files. It looks like Spiro’s trying to give Artemis Atlantis Complex again. He needs something from Orion. You know who Orion was, right?”  
“He was Artemis’s alter ego, no? He stems from the multiple personality aspect of Atlantis.”

“You should have met him.” Juliet sniggered. “Artemis would never have lived that down. But like I was saying, Spiro needs to talk to Orion, or something like that. We’re not entirely sure yet. Basically, Spiro has Artemis in Spiro Needle, in Chicago and is giving him Atlantis. Typically Artemis would come up with some brilliant rescue plan, but obviously that’s not a viable option right now.”

“So you need another genius to replace him."

“You catch on quickly, don’t you?”

“I am a prodigy, after all.”

“Then get that massive brain to work and tell me how to bust Artemis out. We’re heading to the Nice Côte d’Azur airport to catch a flight to Chicago. Foaly figured it would be easier to operate on-site.”

Minerva pursed her lips. “If this is to be a swift operation, I need to start planning now. Do you have blueprints of this Spiro Needle? At the very least I’ll require a sketch. And a list of resources.”

“That will have to wait. We’re only bringing you into this because of someone breached Foaly’s system- and trust me, it must be pretty bad. It takes a lot for Foaly to admit he can’t help. He can get us what you need when we arrive in Chicago. No sooner. And we’re relying on you to get us through the rest. Think you can do that, brainiac?”

“I plan to, Mademoiselle.”

“No.” Juliet wagged a finger. “I don’t do formal. Call me Juliet.”

Minerva accepted the correction. “Thank you, Juliet.” Through her accent, the name sounded like _zhool-yet_.

“No problem,” Juliet said, then added, “ _Mee-nair-vah_.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Below Clarendon Hills, Illinois**

Mulch Diggums tunneled through the earth, relishing the soil in his tombstone teeth.

 _Now this is living_ , he thought. _How does Holly and the lot of them live without tunneling? Must be depressing, watching me day after day. No wonder Artemis always seems so queasy when I dig. He’s jealous._

He was almost disappointed to reach his destination, a small cavern below the suburbs of Chicago. He’d constructed the area as a safe spot in case he ever needed a quick getaway. Of course, he’d told Holly he was past burglary, but the valuables lining the earthen walls suggested otherwise. Mulch clambered out of his shaft and stretched. Enjoy tunneling though he might, it was still fatiguing work. And this private investigator business, too. Who would have guessed he’d have to come so far just to scope out the area for a renegade water elf? If only these criminals would just cooperate. After all, what in Frond’s name would a water elf want in the Midwest?

 _At least Doodah’s a lot more lax about deadlines. Plenty of time to recharge, then I can-_ His communicator rang, interrupting his train of thought. He eyed the device warily, aware that his beard hairs were curling rapidly. _Trust the hair, Mulch. Trust the hair_.

He accepted the call. “Holly? What is it?”

“Where are you? And do you have any bolt holes near Chicago?”

That wasn't good. Normally Holly would’ve taken the time to point out his less-than-eloquent-greeting instead of contribute one of her own. “I’m in it right now. Just under a suburb- Claratin Hills, or something like that. Why, you have a problem?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

Mulch listened, growing paler by the minute. _D’Arvit_. The water elf would have to wait. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated.

* * *

“What’s all this fuss about pants?” Mulch grumbled, yanking on a pair of tunneling trousers. “They only get in the way, and anyway, this is my secret subterranean hideout, which you are borrowing. Since when did you make the rules?”

Holly drew her hand away from her eyes. “First off, I’ll probably go blind if I’m forced to see that. Second, would you really do that to the Mud Girl? You’ll scar poor Minerva for life.”

“ _Poor_ Minerva? Didn’t she kidnap you?”

“That was a misunderstanding. She and I had a talk after Limbo, and we’re friends now.”

The dwarf smirked. “You sure about that?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Just thought things might be a bit… jealous. You know, after the mysterious holes in the official report of the Jayjay mission. ”

Holly swore. "If Foaly decided to go digging-"

"So something _did_ happen?"

"Keep talking and you'll get beat up. By me."

Fortunately for Mulch, that was when several thumps sounded from above the cavern, sending clumps of soil loose.

“Hey!” came a voice from above. Juliet’s voice. “Let us in!”

Mulch gave Holly one more infuriating grin, then lumbered over to the wall, where he inserted his finger into the dirt. Instantly, the ceiling collapsed, depositing a load of sod and two Mud females on the floor.

Juliet, landing catlike on her feet, nodded casually at the fairies. “Holly, Mulch. Good to see you.”

“I’d say likewise,” commented Mulch, “But- yet again, may I say- we’re trying to prevent a cross-species war, so it isn’t actually very good to see you. I’d prefer to be not saving the world than seeing you, if you take my meaning.”

“Thanks a lot. I take it Holly brought you up to speed?”

“Yep,” Mulch said, patching up the hole in the ceiling remarkably swiftly.

“Not that she needed to. It’s same old, same old. Artemis in trouble, impending cross-species war, yadda, yadda, yadda. Can’t the Mud Kid step out of his room without getting his trousers in a twist?”

“ _Excuse-moi_ ,” protested Minerva, standing and adjusting her lopsided glasses, “But Artemis is not to blame. He has been abducted by a diabolic and powerful individual. This is not a situation to laugh off.

“Escoozie-ma?" Mulch waggled his brows. "Fancy.”

Minerva sighed. “Can we please focus? There are bigger things at stake than this squabbling.”

“Get used to it,” called Foaly through Holly’s communicator. “It comes with being part of the group. You’re lucky you managed to avoid most of the action. The thing with the squid, though, that was funny.”

“Squid? I-” Minerva shook her head. “Nevermind that. Where is Domovoi?”

“He’s outside Spiro Needle, keeping watch,” Juliet informed her. “He’ll let us know if anyone goes in or out.”

Minerva nodded approvingly. “Excellent. We can inform him of the plan later.” She gave a chuckle. “To tell the truth, I am disappointed in you, Foaly. My intellect was not even remotely challenged. Child’s play, but then I am technically a child.”

“Care to fill us in, then?” Holly felt a little bad about the sarcasm, considering she had been defending Minerva only minutes ago. But she needed to vent her frustration somehow.

“Simple it may be, but it will test the limits of our abilities. The Butlers’ combat training, the captain’s magic, Foaly’s inventions, and even Monsieur Diggums’s _functions_ , however noisome.”

“Noisome?” Mulch objected. “You’re calling me noisome? What in the name of Shammy Sod does noisome mean?”

“Quiet, dwarf. All of you, listen closely. The fate of the world depends on it.”

* * *

“You call this a map?” Minerva shook the crayon-and-construction-paper chart as if she could magically refine the squiggles. Holly looked on, somewhere between amusement and sympathy.

“What were you hoping for?” asked Mulch, lounging on a mound of dirt. “An impressionist piece?”

“I was hoping for a remotely accurate diagram to guide me out of here. What I did not expect was a kindergartener’s rendering of a jellyfish.”

“Hey,” protested Mulch, wounded. “It doesn’t look anything like a jellyfish. An octopus, maybe, but a jellyfish?”

“ _Mon Dieu_ , you are an imbecile. How do you expect me to navigate my way out of here with only a toddler’s scribbles?”

Mulch waggled a remarkably dexterous finger at her. “A minute ago it was kindergarten quality. Now it’s a toddler. I’m nearly three hundred, I’ll have you know. Talk about inconsistency.”

Minerva took a long, slow breath. “Yes, Monsieur. And it is unlikely that I will live to a third of that age. So I would prefer not to waste my limited lifespan wandering underground for the sake of an artistically incompetent dwarf.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself, then. Stay here. You don’t seriously think you can help by sitting on a rooftop? Face it, Mud Girl. You’re kidding yourself.”

“I will not 'just sit.' When the time comes, I will have my own part to play. You were listening, no?”

“Right. Because you can absolutely come to Artemis’s rescue from the roof of a skyscraper. Why not?”

“I am beginning to doubt you paid any attention whatsoever. I will be wearing Holly’s wings.”

“Wings?” Mulch asked. “Last time I checked, those were fairy sized.”

“They’re standard issue, adjustable,” Holly informed him. “If they can fit a jumbo pixie, they’ll fit a human child. Though gods forbid a jumbo pixie actually get his hands on a pair.”

Mulch put his hands in the air in mock surrender. “Oh, great. Now the females are ganging up. Lord Vortex preserve me. Isn’t it time to get going?”

Holly checked her watch screen. “For once, you’re actually right. Juliet and Butler should be in place. Mulch, you go get situated, then alert the others with your mic.” She glanced at Minerva. “You… well, do the best you can getting out of here. Keep the wings and Moonbelt hidden in that backpack for now. It would be a pity to prevent one case of fairy exposure just to instigate another.”

“Yes,” Minerva agreed. ‘It certainly would.”

Holly glanced at Foaly’s gizmo in her hand. The Telepod, he had called it. The future come early. _It’s untested_ , he had warned her. _But it should work. Otherwise I wouldn’t have included it with your field kit. I’m about seventy-six percent sure_.

 _What about the other twenty-four?_ she had asked.

_Fourteen percent says it won’t do a thing, six says it’ll explode, and four says you’ll end up in Brazil. Or possibly Venezuela._

Not the odds she would have hoped for, but she’d bested worse. Artemis would know the exact numbers. He always knew. Which was why they needed him back so badly.

“Is there a problem, Holly?’ “No, I’m fine. Just let me text Mulch.” She typed a single word into her communicator. There. That part was done, at least. She fingered the Telepod. The device could have passed for an egg, albeit a black one covered in dials. “Here goes nothing.”

Minerva hurriedly removed her hand, and Holly pressed the activation button. For a long moment, nothing happened, and she shot Minerva a glance. The girl frowned. “Try again. Perhaps-”

A rapid tingle swept up Holly’s arm, swiftly enveloping her body. She stumbled backward, gasping as it swallowed her scalp. “What on-” She never finished the sentence. Instead, Holly Short blinked out of existence.

She came into being a second later, swaying on her feet in a dark square room. It was an odd feeling to be partially tangible and partially not. She watched in fascination as her right hand fizzled into solidity. As her eyes adjusted, Holly made out the shape of a human in the far corner. Artemis? Yes! Artemis, curled into a ball on the floor in the far corner.

“Arty?” she whispered, horrified. He was even paler and more gaunt than usual, a living skeleton. Whatever chemicals Spiro was using, Artemis’s cloned body, the immune system equivalent of an infant’s, could not deal with it. He opened his eyes, which fell on his elfin friend, and she could have sworn their vibrant blue had faded. He closed his eyes just as quickly as he had opened them, his entire body shaking.

“I… will not… be broken!” he muttered.

Holly blinked. “Artemis, it’s me! We need to get out of here!” She rushed to his side. “What’s wrong?” He pushed himself up on a feeble arm. swept his hand through her left arm, which hadn't fully materialized yet.

“The hallucinations... have not progressed... to tangibility yet. That, at least, is a good sign.” Holly felt tears of frustration sting her eyes. “Artemis, it’s really me, I promise.”

He ignored her, closing his eyes again and humming what sounded like a Beethoven symphony. “Artemis, listen to me.” He frowned slightly but kept humming. His hand fell to the floor, where it beat a rhythm of fives on the ground. Holly’s desperation multiplied, then, in an instant, turned to anger. “Fine. We’ll do it another way.” And with that, she swung a punch at his face. He yelped and fell back onto his side. Before he could recover, Holly snatched his wrist and lugged him across the floor to where she had appeared. _It’ll work better the closer you can get to the materialization site_ , Foaly had informed her. _The energy will still be lingering in the air_. She was not so angry as to neglect to send a few magical sparks across to Artemis. He could most definitely use them.

“How’s that for a hallucination, Mud Boy?” She thrust the Telepod into his hand, gripping the free half with long elfin fingers. “Three, two, one…” Squeezing her eyes shut, she pressed the Telepod’s activation button and waited for the tingle to crawl up her arm. Instead, a sharp pain stung her hand, and a bang filled the room. The scent of smoke filled her nostrils. Swearing, Holly dropped the remains of the gadget to the floor. They collapsed into fragments of wire and silicon. “D’Arvit, Foaly,” she growled. “I swear on Mulch’s behind, I’ll slug him too if we get out of this alive.”

Artemis’s gaze, shadowed under raised eyebrows, was directed at the wrecked Telepod. “I gather you intend to strike Foaly, not Mulch or his aforementioned behind." He stood and wiped his hands on his pajama pants. A surprising action for Artemis, as he was so particular about his possessions. “We will have to devise a more conventional getaway. A pity not to salvage this intriguing device. Teleportation, or so I would guess. A groundbreaking technological epiphany, wasted.”

“Tell that to Foaly. Actually, don’t. It would only make his head bigger. I take it you’ve figured out I’m real?”

“Considering you were able to both attack me and drag me bodily across the floor, yes. Of course, that could simply be the progression of the Complex, but really, what is there to lose?”

“Pure genius.” Holly drew her Neutrino and flicked the setting to three. “You really are living up to your reputation, Mud Boy. Now give me a plan before Spiro and his bootlickers get up here. It’s time for some impromptu jailbreaking.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Chicago, Illinois**

Minerva hefted her foot to the final step of the fire escape, pulling herself to the top of the thirty-story building. If she thought deconstructing Mulch’s map was fatiguing, this was a thousand times worse. The trek had sapped her strength until she felt like a three-legged workhorse.

She collapsed on the roof, taking a few heaving breaths to fill her lungs with cold wind. Cold, but rejuvenating. And extreme. They didn’t call it the Windy City for nothing. Although, as Minerva’s analytical side argued, Chicago was technically no windier than the rest of the United States. For once, the rest of her was too weary to care.

With already stiffening muscles, Minerva staggered to the westernmost side of the building and sat herself down to wait. One hand fingered the sheet of Gossamer, a variation of Foaly’s cam-foil. It would make her invisible to human eyes, but it consumed a massive amount of energy and magic. It also took quite a while to activate. If she powered it up now, it should be ready just in time.

She pulled Holly’s wings from her backpack. They had been forced to partially disassemble it to fit it inside, and now she fit the pieces back together, strapping it to her torso. Expanded though they were to maximum size, they did not fit properly. Nevertheless, Minerva liked knowing they were there, ready for use. If the plan went awry- not unlikely considering the involvement of Artemis Fowl and high altitude- Minerva could step in as a last resort. Not that she’d likely know if something did go wrong. All she could see of the Needle was the cityscape’s reflection in the cladding. For all she knew, the Telepod had malfunctioned, and Holly was on an extended stay with an Amazonian tribe. It was a grim prospect, but one that loomed ominously over the backstreets of Chicago.

For as long as Minerva could remember- which was all the way back to her first birthday- everyone she met had been enthralled by her, so sure of her. Her mother, her father, even Juan Soto, for a time. In fact, it had been her mother who had inspired the demon project. She used to tell her daughter she was capable of saving the world, and when she did, her mother would be behind her. Then she left, ran away with the gardener, and her motherly praise became Minerva’s mission. She would save the world. She would prove to her mother that she was worth her affections. And so it was a dream come true when Abbot appeared, ranting about demonic invasions. Not just a chance to save humanity, to save a species, but also something eleven year old Minerva held just as dear: earning her mother’s love. Her father’s love. He still viewed her as a child. She had seen too much by then to ever be a child again.

Then came Artemis. He was her opponent, yes, but he was like her. It was Artemis who showed her what honor was, what goodness was. He had saved her from herself, pulling her out of a deep dark hole of loneliness, lies, and thirst for approval. Then in one fell swoop, Minerva lost her demon, her Nobel nomination, her chance at saving the world. She lost her father’s trust. And above all, she lost Artemis. Not only did she lose him, she practically chased him away- placing petty revenge over her own safety. The following years, the years of Artemis’s absence, were the worst of her life, despite her Nobel Prize. She told herself he would return. He would return, and when he did, he wouldn’t blame her.

He did come back, eventually. With magic. With Holly’s eye. And though he claimed to be her friend, she knew better than to believe it. After all, everyone else had seen through her flimsy mask. Everyone else had left her. Why should anything change now? And she had been right. Right, because the Artemis she knew and to whom she owed so much was disappearing forever, and all she could do was wait.

Yet if he was so certain to leave her, she wondered, why was she so determined to hold on?

A sentence came to her, one than anyone with less than a genius’s powers of recall would have forgotten long ago. _There are a hundred and one ways this could go wrong. If it does, the police could tie one of us up for a long time._ Minerva half-smiled at the memory. The words, spoken by Artemis as part of a convoluted plot to rescue her from a homicidal gang leader, rang as true today as they had five years ago.

 _All that is left to do now is wait and see._ _And hope no one comes up here to find the youngest winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry wearing fairy wings._

**Outside the Spiro Needle**

Butler watched the Needle’s revolving doors with the keenness of a cat surveilling a mouse hole. There was no need for binoculars; though, of course, his eyes could not actually zoom in on the entrance, Butler enjoyed twenty-twenty vision. Besides, binoculars would attract unwanted suspicions. And suspicious was not a wise thing to be around the Spiro Needle. He traced the spiral scar on his neck. It was a testament to Holly’s quick thinking during the event now somewhat humorously known as the Big Dark. Nothing about it was humorous, though. Not even the crickets.

His principal had died that day, for heaven’s sake. Butler had failed at his one duty in life. Artemis was back now, of course, but his new body bore no spiral scar. It was Butler’s to bear, and his alone, a reminder of the cost of his failure.

A fist rapped against the passenger window, distracting him. Juliet’s bright eyes and winning smile grinned at him through the bulletproof glass. “Long time, no see, brother," she said as he opened the door. “Wish we had time to catch up, but it never seems to turn out that way, does it?”

Butler shook his head. “You know, Jules, I never thought I’d say it, but after this all blows over, I’m taking a vacation, maybe even retiring. I’m too old for these shenanigans, and I mean it this time.”

Juliet nodded solemnly. “You totally deserve a break. But first, we should go save your Principal from the sadistic, Mob-affiliated kidnapper who wants to drive him insane.”

"Probably,” he agreed. “What does Minerva need us to do?” “

Oh, you know,” said his sister, joining him in front of the Bentley. “The usual. Beat up some security and be a distraction. Her exact words were to ‘run on his bean and put mustard up his nose,’ but I’m pretty sure that’s French figurative language.”

“I hope so, unless you happen to have some mustard on hand. A distraction, hmm? So no stealth or professional efficiency whatsoever.”

“Nope. This time, we do things my way.”

“That should be interesting. Going to put that fifty-four step kata to use?”

Juliet cracked her knuckles, grinning maliciously. “Why not? It’s not like I can take you down with it. Or at least, Bellico couldn’t.” She batted her brother’s shoulder. The force would have sent Artemis sprawling, but Butler bore it without complaint. “By the way, I never confronted you about that. You let me win?”

Butler’s mouth twitched. “It was your birthday, after all. And you are the one who somehow neglected to let me in on Artemis’s secret superlaser. I think that makes us even.”

His sister smiled. “Thank you, brother.”

“Any time. Now, ready to run on some American beans?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Self-indulgently inserting Minerva meta that canon robbed us of? It's more likely than you think


	5. Chapter 5

**Below the Spiro Needle, Chicago, Illinois, USA**

Mulch crouched below the foundation of the Spiro Needle, ready for action. He rotated his jaw to loosen his masseters. He’d be needing them soon enough. 

A ding broke the silence, and Mulch checked the communicator. The device was actually Artemis’s, and only fit on Mulch’s thumb. But then Mulch was not nitpicky about the technical ownership of objects in his immediate vicinity. On the display read two letters- _Go_. He grinned, although an onlooker might have mistaken the expression for baring of the teeth. With Mulch, there was not much difference.

He unhinged his jaw and took his first bite of earth, again filled with the exhilaration of tunneling. Too bad this excursion would not last longer than a second. 

He breached the foundations, then flopped on his stomach on the floor of the Spiro Needle’s basement. He snapped his jaw back into position, then pushed himself to his feet. 

The room was poorly lit, but that was the way Mulch liked it. Only security cameras and a safe on a wooden stool against the far wall, occupied the room. 

The cameras were few in number, and the safe, at first glance, looked miserably inadequate. Apparently the Techno-Crash had cost Spiro quite a bit. Mulch eyed the cameras, estimating their lines of vision. _D’Arvit_. He had emerged off course, directly in Spiro’s view. He would have to make this quick.

He made his way toward the safe, dodging the camera’s sights and a few concealed pressure plates. Only a few more feet to go. 

There was something nagging in the back of his brain. He knew this was far too easy. He had blamed it on the Techno-Crash, but surely someone like Jon Spiro could find a way around that. The human’s history was shadier than Mulch’s, and that was saying quite a bit. Besides, the whole of his rather conspicuous entrance had been caught on camera. There should be guards storming the basement right now. 

So why was it so simple? The first solution was a bluff. The safe was empty, the Cube was somewhere else, and this entire room was a decoy for prospective burglars like him. But it could just as easily be a double bluff, an idea Artemis would have appreciated. Though Artemis’s convoluted mind would probably prefer triple bluffs and quadruple bluffs.

There was only one way to find out. Mulch took the last few steps toward the safe, apprehension growing in his gut. Gently, he pried a hair from his beard and twisted it into the lock, listening to the click of the tumblers. In seconds, the door swung open, revealing, as Mulch had suspected, absolutely nothing.

 _D’Arvit_ , he thought again. _There goes that part of Minerva’s brilliant plan. Some genius she turned out to be._

It is possible Mulch would have continued mentally abusing Minerva, but at that moment he was interrupted by a voice from behind.

“Mo Digence. Would you look at that. I did wonder whether we would meet again someday. I also spent a considerable amount of time wondering about the best way to exact my revenge on you. I suppose we’ll find out today, won’t we?” Mulch heard the click of a gun’s safety being disengaged. “I highly suggest you stay still. Otherwise, things might just get messy.”

Mulch’s fingers did not even leave the safe. They inched across the metallic surface to Artemis’s communicator, where they tapped a message on the miniature screen.

_Holly, I need some backup._

**Sixtieth Floor, The Spiro Needle**

The waiting was the worst.

Holly heard her blood rushing like thunder in her ears. Her gun was drawn and ready, its barrel keeping a steady watch on the pneumatic door. Her wits were sharp and she was ready for action.

 _A firefight in a human skyscraper, with only a half-crazed Mud Boy to watch my back._ Almost any other LEP officer would have been shaking in their boots, but Holly barely broke a sweat. She had weathered quite a bit more than your average LEPrecon. _Too bad Trouble isn’t here,_ she thought. _Even Lili Frond, if it came down to it. I’m too used to having someone by my side._

It was then that both Holly and Artemis heard the stomping of feet and shouts from outside- each growing ominously louder. _Any second now,_ thought Holly. _Any second._

Then Artemis’s croaking voice came from out of the blue. For the first time, Holly understood the expression ‘jumping out of one’s skin.’ _Well, at least Trouble and Lili weren’t around to see that._

“Holly, shield!’ he hissed.

Her brow furrowed. “What about you? You can’t possibly expect to fight them off. You can’t even fight a cricket and come out on top.”

“Just do it. Hold my hand and shield.”

“What? The vibration could kill you!”

“We are running out of time, Holly. You heard the footsteps. Even your Neutrino can’t hold them all off. I will be fine!”

The beeping ceased, replaced by the hiss of a pneumatic door. Holly stuffed her Neutrino into its holster, snatched Artemis’s hand and focused all the magic she could muster into shielding. 

She had never shielded anyone besides herself, much less a human twice her size. After this, she had no intention of doing so. Her brain rattled in her skull. Her bones felt like they were turning to liquid. She couldn’t even feel Artemis, but she sent a spark or two into his system, just in case. Who knew what vibration like this was doing to his non-magical body?

Finally, the effort of shielding them both became too much. Holly dropped them both into the visible spectrum, directly behind a heavily armed Spiro employee. Holly drew her gun and felled her in one shot.

The other two whirled around at the sound of their colleague hitting the floor.

“What the-” Holly blasted them too.

“Looks like the others went to tattle to Mum,” she said. “Butler and Juliet will take care of them.” Then she remembered the human. “Oh, gods, Artemis, are you okay?” 

To her immense relief, Artemis was sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“Now that was a fascinating experience. Perhaps I should write an article.”

“As long as you don’t publish it. But first we need to get out of this place alive.”

“Ah, yes. That. Is there a plan in place?” 

“A plan?” she said in mock remembrance. “Oh, yes, that little detail! Beats me why I didn’t just barge in with a Neutrino and leave it at that.” She rolled her eyes at him. “With the Telepod broken, Plan A is out of the question- you can blame Foaly for that- but there is a backup. I should warn you, it’s going to take some coordination. I know it isn’t your forte, to put it lightly, but-” She hesitated and looked him up and down. “Scratch that. This is going to be a disaster.”

He winced. “Coordination. What, exactly, is the plan?”

“You and I are going to blow a hole in the wall and inch around the building on an eight-inch wide ledge, sixty stories above the pavement. Then _you_ are going to jump off so Minerva can catch you and lower you to the getaway car. I’ll be shielding until she can fly back up for me.”

“Minerva Paradizo? Minerva is here?”

“Do you know of any other Minervas?” she said sarcastically. “Yes, Minerva. Who do you think came up with the plan? It wasn’t me.”

“Of course. I should have guessed.” 

“Come on,” she continued. “Let’s blast the wall open.”

Artemis offered not a single satirical comment. 

“This room?” he asked. “The ledge just happens to be outside my prison?”

“Well, luck had to take our side at some point.”

Holly approached the wall, and in one fluid motion, drew her weapon, shot, and stowed it away again. Artemis did not even have time to be quietly impressed before the concrete disintegrated to reveal the Chicago skyline. Wind whistled through the hole, giving Artemis both literal and metaphorical cold feet.

“Holly,” he said over the howl of the air currents, “Why don’t you simply fly me down? Why is Minerva involved?”

“I would’ve thought you’d enjoy that part. You know, flying over the city together. Very romantic.” She saw the objections on the tip of his tongue and hastily went on. “I’m joking! Just joking. But we needed someone on the outside to wear the wings. In case something went wrong, Minerva could drop in for any of us. That’s why you need to get to the other side- the only building with suitably lax security was an apartment complex. I’ll be heading down to the basement in a moment. There are a few more things that need to be handled.”

Artemis nodded slowly. “And where are the others currently?”

“Butler and Juliet are distracting some guards right now, and Mulch is stealing the C-Cube.”

Just then, her communicator let out a pleasant ding.

“Speak of the devil,” Holly said, checking the display. “It’s Mulch.” 

It took her barely a second to read the text, but it was obvious from her groan that it was not a good one. She looked to Artemis, and the wind seemed to roar louder in his ears.

“Remember what I said about luck being on our side?” She paused. “I was wrong.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of this fic was pre-written over a long period, and it's undergone massive editing since. Proofreading only goes so far, so please let me know if you notice any inconsistencies or similar issues!


	6. Chapter 6

**Spiro Needle, First Floor**

To watch them stride into the Spiro Needle, not a single onlooker would have guessed the Butlers were there to cause trouble. Unfortunately for those onlookers, the Butler siblings were not only prone to trouble but prepared to wreak as much as possible. 

The sibling walked in step to the center of the lobby, halting in the center of the floor’s mosaicked spiral. Juliet’s braid fell over her shoulder, and she fingered the jade ring woven into it. Her brother raised an eyebrow.

“Nervous?”

“Of course not.” She pulled her fingers away, and Butler could see the steel in her eyes. _She is just as skilled as I am,_ he realized for the hundredth time. _Probably more so._

“Then let’s get started.”

Without discussion, the two turned their backs to each other. The eyes of both surveyed the room, taking in the other occupants. A few of Spiro’s employees were eyeing them with some distrust, but no one said anything. Butler knew from experience that in this line of business, you did not ask questions.

He strolled up to one of the black-clad employees.

“Having a nice day?” he asked pleasantly. It took all he could muster not to simply take the man down. This was Juliet’s style, most definitely not his.

The man glared at him with increased suspicion. Mobsters were not known for their congeniality. He reached for his walkie-talkie, apparently coming to a decision.

“Boss? We have a-”

Then Butler swung his massive fist and knocked the gangster out.

Immediately the rest of the room burst into uproar. They may have been accustomed to violence, but not in situations like these, where patience was called for. When on the boss’s turf, you saved the brawls for later.

Juliet was more than a match for them. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying herself. She flew through the air, administering everything from unconsciousness to bone fractures. Once, she decided to employ her fifty-four step kata, confounding her opponent.

Butler, on the other hand, preferred a more restrained approach. He jabbed his fingers into nerve clusters and solar plexuses.

The fighting barely lasted a minute, but it was a minute that would go down in history- or would have, had anyone but the Butlers been left conscious to observe. At long last, the siblings reunited at the spiral mosaic, surrounded by motionless thugs.

“We made quick work of that, didn’t we?” Juliet commented. “There’s not much that can stop a Butler when they put their mind to it. Much less two Butlers.”

Butler had to concede she was right.

**Basement, Spiro Needle**

Mulch turned, forcing himself to remain steady.

“That’s right,” siad Spiro with a disturbingly Koboi-esqe cackle. “No sudden moves. You know the drill.”

 _Hurry up, Holly_ , Mulch thought. Aloud he said, “Let’s talk about this, Jon. There’s no need for anyone to get hurt.”

“It’s too late for that, fairy dwarf. Your friends upstairs have already taken down my personnel, pretty quickly, I gotta say. Too bad your own death won’t be so fast.”

Then Holly materialized behind the businessman and clobbered him over the head with the butt of her Neutrino. At least, Mulch assumed she meant to hit him over the head. It was more like a whack to the base of his skull as Holly jumped as high as she could. Nevertheless, Jon Spiro fell like a stack of stones.

“You were fast,” Mulch commented. “Where’d you leave Artemis?”

Holly stepped delicately around Spiro on the basement floor. “Skirting around the edge of a skyscraper. Admittedly not a great situation, but I have other things to take care of. ”

“Things? Plural?”

“I’m beginning to think you didn’t listen to anything Minerva said. Did you find the C-Cube?”

“Nope, not yet. But I do have a hunch…”

Holly snorted. “Mulch Diggums has a hunch. This should be interesting.”

Mulch turned back to the safe. “Remember the Fowl Manor siege? When I broke into Artemis’s house?”

“Didn’t you nearly decapitate Butler with wind power?”

“The highlight of my career. But before that I found a safe hidden behind another safe. A tricky set-up. Would’ve bamboozled any second-rate burglar.”

“You’re saying…” Holly’s eyes widened.

“It’s a double-bluff. Or triple. Or something like that.” And to prove it, Mulch felt around the safe. His claw-like nails lifted the false bottom. “Would you look at that. Clever work, here. The safe is built into the stool.”

“The stool is part of the safe?”

“Yeah,” said Mulch, digging his hand into the empty space. “Seems like something Artemis would pull, in fact. Like that picture frame when you first started roping me into these messes. Foaly’s still not off the hook for shocking my eye, by the way. My vision’s never been the same.”

“ _Mulch._ ”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m getting to it. The seat is hollow. The perfect spot for something like-” he drew out his hand, clutching a small polymer-cased cube. “-this.”

Holly nodded. “Good work. Now take that and go back to your hidey-hole. We’ll rendezvous at some point. You have Artemis’s communicator?”

“Hidey-hole? That’s a bit harsh. It’s more like a hidden lair. You know, like in an action movie. Yes, I have the communicator.”

“See you later, then.” She gave a playful salute.

“See you. Hope you live.” And with that ominous note, Mulch unbuttoned his bum-flap and disappeared into the ground.

Holly shielded her head against the spray of recycled waste, then let her arms fall to her side. They were promptly seized by two large hands.

“One fairy for another, I suppose,” Jon Spiro breathed into her ear. Of course. She’d calculated her blow to cause only brief unconsciousness. Of course, if Mulch had avoided the cameras, the whole captive process would have gone far more simply.

Holly suppressed the instinct to break free. She could have done it in seconds, she knew, and have Spiro pinned in half the time. Instead, she defied all her training and squirmed, driving her heels into the man’s shins. Enough to seem authentic.

Spiro only laughed

“I wouldn’t, if I were you. There happens to be a gun in my belt, and I am prepared to use it. Pretty eager to, in fact. So come along, fairy. We have places to be.”

He pulled her backward, half-dragging her into an elevator. 

“What do you want with me?” she spat.

“Oh, a few things,” said Spiro as the elevator began its ascent. “Revenge, for one. Also, you make a convenient hostage.”

“For what? You want gold?”

He chuckled. “Artemis may have an unhealthy obsession with the stuff, but I have bolder aspirations. Namely, magic.”

Before Holly could so much as wrap her mind around that sentence, the elevator ground to a halt. The doors slid open, revealing a room chock-full of enough tech to astound Foaly.

“My office,” Spiro announced, pushing Holly out of the elevator. He jostled her across the floor to a panel of dials. Releasing one of Holly’s arms, he pressed a button with one delicate finger. She gritted her teeth. The temptation to wrest herself free, a combination of instincts and training, was nearly overwhelming. 

_But not yet,_ she reminded herself. _Play along for now._

_Not yet._


	7. Chapter 7

**First Floor, Spiro Needle**

Butler glanced at his sister. “Ready to make our exit?”

Juliet held up a hand, checking her communicator. “Wait. There’s more to do.”

Her brother groaned. “Why don’t you tell me these things in advance? Artemis is bad enough- not you, too.”

“It’s more fun this way.” She glanced up. “Okay. Foaly is tracing the residual energy from the telepod. Holly was supposed to get Artemis out and come back alone for this part. Apparently that didn’t work out, but one trip should still provide energy enough to do the trick. Her signature is coming from-” she squinted at the communicator- “the twenty-sixth floor. That’s where Spiro took her.”

“How did Holly get herself- nevermind. All part of the plan, I assume?”

Juliet grinned. “You know, I like being more informed than you, for once. I could get used to it.”

“Let’s hope you don’t have to.”

“Don’t get too excited. Now come along. To the twenty-sixth floor.”

**Jon Spiro’s Office, Spiro Needle**

Holly’s eyes scanned the room, taking in and noting every aspect of the technology lining the walls. It was information she’d need shortly- assuming all went according to plan.

She sat on the floor, her arms bound behind her back by Spiro’s handcuffs. The man himself was sitting on a wheeled chair, watching her with a hawk’s eye. Holly’s own eyes fell on the Neutrino 3000 on the desk beside him. It felt strange to know it was so close and so far away.

“Not getting any ideas, are we, fairy?” Spiro asked. “Don’t worry. I’ll make plenty of profit out of you- dead or alive.”

Holly’s retort died in her throat, for it was then that the elevator rumbled again. The Butlers burst in, taking a fighting stance. Before Spiro could so much as stand, Juliet jabbed at a nerve cluster, knocking the man out cold. Butler rushed over to Holly and crouched to examine her handcuffs.

“I can’t pick these, but I’ll frisk Spiro for the key. Are you hurt?”

“It takes more than a half-sane Mud Man to get the best of me," she told him as he plucked a key from Spiro's breast pocket and unlocked the cuffs.

“It doesn’t look like it,” Juliet pointed out.

Holly glared. “Look. The plan worked. We’re in the office, and we have the Mud Man. Can we get back to work?”

Juliet nodded. “Right away, Captain.” Holly was sure she was suppressing a smirk.

“You have your equipment?” Butler confirmed.

“It’s basic gear,” Holly told him. “I never leave without it. Especially not since I got involved with you people.”

“That’s good to know.”

Holly procured a disc the size of her palm and placed it to one of the monitors.

Juliet raised her eyebrows. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.” She pocketed the disc. “Any record of fairy existence is gone from the system, and when Spiro tries to activate it, it will activate a signal that will wipe him, too.”

“Mind wiping tech has improved,” Juliet commented. “This isn’t how I remember the process.”

Both Holly and Butler raised an eyebrow at her. She groaned. “I just know both of you have some witty remark to make, and I don’t want to hear it.”

“As you wish.” Butler glanced at the elevator, which was rumbling once more. “That can’t be good.”

Juliet glanced at the screens, one of which displayed the outside of the building. “Okay, back to the plan. Holly, you head up the stairs to the room with the observation deck. When Artemis is ready, signal Minerva- it looks like she’ll be stepping in after all. Dom and I can take care of these guys.”

Holly gave a quick nod, and the two faced the elevator, ready to fight once more. Holly watched for a moment. _There really is no stopping those two_. Then she bolted for the stairs.

Her footsteps echoed on the step as she made her way up. If not for her LEP fitness training, she would never have made it, but she did. Eventually. By then, she was weary to the bone, and her ears hurt from the resounding clump of feet. So it was to be expected that when she did shove open the stairwell door, she would pause for a moment to cool her muscles. What was not expected was the stun gun beam that shot from her right, throwing her across the floor and through the mirrored glass partition.

The glass shattered, littering the room and observation deck with shards of reflected light. Holly's world dissolved into twinkling stars, which twirled and winked out. Carla Frazetti marched up to the fallen elf, crouching to inspect her.

_An interesting specimen. But the boy is the important one here. He cannot be allowed to share what he knows._

She tugged the pointed tips of Holly’s ears, then stood, her stiletto heels grinding into the glass. 

It was not as if the boy was any use to them now, anyway, not now that he was escaping. And though Carla considered herself above petty whims, she couldn't deny her vengeful spirit. She blew the smoke from her stun gun and slipped it back in her belt. When her hand came back up, it was holding a walkie-talkie-like device. A smirk crossed her face, and she pressed the button down.

**Exterior of Spiro Needle**

Artemis sidled along the ledge, trying unsuccessfully not to look down. Though he’d never admit it, the Irish boy had been slightly afraid of heights since the electric pylon incident in the past. Of course, ‘slightly’ suddenly felt a lot more than that when he was forty stories up. _Forty. Divisible by five. But also by the other number._ He mentally slapped himself. _Get a handle on yourself. Just breathe._ He pressed a finger to his thumb, his calming mechanism, to lower his hammering pulse.

He was almost there. He could see the sign on the building below. There was writing across it, but- strange. It appeared rather blurry. And the building seemed to be swaying. He shook his head. How curious- perhaps it was the height, though such things had never affected him before. But he really was lightheaded, and it was getting worse. He was losing feeling in his limbs, and his vision was reduced to little more than balloons of shape and color.

Then, through the soporific fog threatening to claim him, he realized. _The seeker-sleeper._ Someone had activated the seeker-sleeper.

It was the last thing he thought before the world tipped sideways in a black abyss.


	8. Chapter 8

**Rooftop of Pinnacle Apartments**

Minerva, leaping to her feet on the rooftop, watched Artemis fall. Time slowed to a crawl around her, except for him, rushing story by story toward the ground. The bone-shatteringly solid ground.

She screamed his name, or at least she thought she did- later she would never be quite sure. In any event, she looked on in horror as Artemis plummeted to his death.

 _No! Not yet! The shimmer foil isn’t ready! There was supposed to be a signal! There was supposed to_ -

Then Minerva’s prodigious brain processed the information streaming from her eyes. Artemis did not pinwheel his arms, or even move at all; he was limp as a ragdoll falling from a tabletop. There did not seem to be any reason for him to corpse, so he must be unconscious. Unconscious or… No. She would not let herself consider that. There was no time for anything but action.

_If he leaves, he leaves. But I won’t lose him. I can’t. Not this time._

It really wasn't that far off from the initial plan. She had already been prepared to swoop in and lower him to the ground. The question was whether she could make it without warning. Yes, she wore fairy wings, but there was no time to don the Moonbelt. Without it, there was not a chance the wings could support them both.

But perhaps they didn’t have to.

Minerva took off, analyzing speed and trajectory as only a genius could. She could make it. Barely. 

They made contact where their courses intersected, just as Minerva had known they would. Of course, the phrase ‘make contact’ suggests a far gentler impact than the one the genii experienced. Minerva felt at least three ribs crunch and was fairly certain both collar bones were in splinters. Her force sent them both careening toward the Spiro Needle. They crash-landed on the observation deck, somersaulting over each other. 

Through the all-consuming haze of pain, Minerva felt the heat of someone’s breath on her arm. _Artemis,_ she thought before blacking out. _Artemis._

**Jon Spiro’s office, Spiro Needle**

Butler and Juliet saw the events unfold from the Needle’s situation room. On the screen before them, Artemis toppled from the ledge, and Butler’s blood froze. No. _No._

Then something happened. Something flew from nowhere and collided with his Principal, driving him onto the observation deck. No, not something, some _one_. Someone with wings and a mane of blonde hair. 

“Juliet,” he ordered. “Get to the car. I’m going up.”

“Dom-”

“Go!” he snapped, then instantly regretted it. But he could apologize later. Right now, he needed to get to the observation deck.

Juliet obeyed without so much as a grumble. When her brother snapped at her, things were serious. 

Butler, for his part, glanced one more time at Spiro, out cold on the floor, then kicked open the stairwell door with enough force to take down a bull elephant. When Domovoi Butler’s Principal was endangered, he could move faster than any elevator. He bounded up the steps, skipping half a dozen with each humongous leap. After what felt like an eternity, he reached the fortieth floor. In his haste to wrench the door open, he ripped it clear off its hinges. 

Before him stood a small room, minus the far wall. Instead its place, the space gave way to the observation deck. The shattered reflective glass littering the floor suggested that a mirrored partition once stood there. An arrangement Butler might have taken the time to appreciate had there not been three bodies lying on the deck. At that point, interior design was not high on his list of priorities.

Out of habit and deference to his contract, he examined Artemis first. The boy was breathing, a good sign in any medical book. Holly’s foot grazed his side and magic was exploiting the contact to scurry across to his injuries. He might have a fractured rib or two, but Holly’s magic was already knitting them back together. Butler breathed a sigh of relief. The Principal was safe. It would not be long until Artemis was up and kicking, or at least spouting quantum equations.

Next, Holly. No sign of any cuts or bruises, so most likely stunned. A Neutrino weapon, maybe, or electricity. Her breath was deep and even, and he could almost believe she was asleep. Nothing to worry about, as long as he did not move her. She’d told him once that magic did funny things while its host was in motion. But she would be fine.

Minerva was a different story.

Butler’s heart fell as his eyes fell on the girl. Bubble-laced blood leaked from her mouth with every shallow, ragged breath. That was at least one lung punctured. Her shoulders were skewed unnaturally, indicating a cracked clavicle and possibly scapula, too. Blood matted her hair and soaked her jacket. Her glasses had shattered, latticing her eyelids with slashes of red. She was beyond his help, maybe beyond anyone’s help... but perhaps not any _thing_ ’s. Magic- just magic- could save Minerva now. 

And magic did save Minerva. That and dumb luck. Artemis’s head rested in the crook of her arm, and his left foot just barely grazed Holly’s ankle. His body formed a bridge between elf and girl, a bridge through which magic could flow. Blue sparks sank into her torso, and Butler knew they were coaxing her ribs into place and stitching together the tissue of her lungs. 

Artemis’s body linked two of his dearest friends, saving Minerva’s life.

When he judged it was safe to lift her, Butler draped all three over his shoulder and made his way down to the getaway car.

This time, Butler took the elevator.

**Below Clarendon Hills, Illinois**

Mulch Diggums stroked his dung beetle-infested beard, squinting at a root jutting from the cavern wall. Painstakingly, he positioned his thumb and pointer finger beside the protuberance and gave it a single meticulous flick. Instantly the cavern came crashing down, burying everything inside- except, of course, for Mulch and his immediate vicinity. 

His communicator was buzzing- Holly, probably, wondering if he had made it with the Cube- but he ignored it. It was time to examine this so-called ‘Evercube.’ After all, for something that got Artemis kidnapped, it looked for all the world like a toddler’s toy block.

He fiddled with it for several minutes, clawing at the polymer casing with fingernails that would have traumatized a mysophobe. But Spiro’s modifications held firm. Eventually the dwarf decided it was time for some more drastic measures.

He tossed the Cube to the ground. He could almost hear Artemis berating him. ( _That is priceless technology, Mulch! Imagine if filth were to corrupt the workings!_ ) The dwarf did not particularly care about dirt. It was, after all, his livelihood.

Procuring a bottle of what looked suspiciously like dwarf rock polish, Mulch twisted the lid and withdrew the attached brush. Actually, he sniggered, the bottle and its contents could nearly pass for human nail polish. That is, putrid and highly corrosive nail polish. 

Deliberately, he lowered the rock-polish-saturated brush to the surface of the Cube, which he now held in one hand. The polish dissolved the polymer, exposing the delicate gadgetry inside. A few circuits may have disintegrated, another fact that would have anguished Artemis. Most remained fairly intact. Mulch shrugged to himself. It was not as if Artemis would be seeing the Cube anytime soon anyway, and besides, all Mulch needed was a chip or two. Risk of fairy discovery may prevent him from selling the intact Cube, but who said he could not snag a few parts? 

After extracting a handful of wires and silicon, the dwarf shoveled them down his gullet. He’d retrieve those later. Abandoning the near-empty shell of the casing, he unbuttoned his bum-flap, unhinged his jaw, and sped down the tunnel. So what if Artemis wanted the Evercube back? After all the trouble it had caused, the least Mulch could do was get it out of the picture. He’d be doing them a favor, really. It wasn’t his fault if he happened to make a little gold in the meantime. After all, the only two Mud People smart enough to reconstruct it were busy saving the fairies from exposure… right?


	9. Chapter 9

Artemis’s eyes fluttered open, revealing- for the second time in as many days- nothing but white.  _ The rescue must have failed, _ he concluded.  _ I am back in Spiro’s little clinic, or I am dead. Perhaps I fell from the Needle’s ledge. _

But Artemis had been dead before, and this didn’t seem quite the same. For one thing, he couldn’t recall there being a ghostly bed to lie on. He sat up, feeling the downy mattress sink under his weight. It couldn’t have been longer than four feet. A fairy bed, then, which guaranteed it wasn’t actual down beneath him.

He sat up, stretching and wiggling his digits tentatively. Nothing broken, though he was admittedly a little stiff. 

He glanced around the room, and found to his surprise that he was not alone. He cleared his throat. A mountain of burly flesh rose from a ridiculously undersized sofa, dropping what may or may have not been a romance novel. The giant’s strides covered an impressive amount of ground as he power-walked toward Artemis and embraced him.

“Artemis!” Butler exclaimed. “I was beginning to think you’d never wake up.”

“Butler,” Artemis said softly, contained in his bodyguard’s hug. “What is this place? Am I dead?”

Butler released him, chuckling. “No, but you cut it closer than I would have liked. This is a fairy hospital in Haven. You’re technically under quarantine, but I convinced the warlock healers that it might not be in their best interest to enforce that. We should be discharged soon anyway, but first the Atlantis drugs have to be purged from your system.” As he talked, he led Artemis out of the room and into a larger lobby.

The boy rubbed his temples, wrapping his mind around those sentences. “Butler, I need you to tell me everything that happened. The last thing I remember is crawling around the outside of Spiro Needle.”

And Butler did tell him. He talked and talked for at least half an hour, detailing the escape plan and its execution.

When his bodyguard finished, Artemis glanced away, unable to meet his friend’s gaze. Then he seemed to find a spark of determination within himself, and it propelled him to look back. “Butler… I am so, so sorry. For everything. For all of this. I should have… I should have done  _ something _ differently.”

Butler looked deep into his Principal’s eyes, nearly as dark as his own. There was sorrow there, and regret. This was not the Artemis who had abducted and elf all those years ago, or even the Artemis who had stolen magic in the time tunnel. This was someone new.

“Artemis, you have nothing to apologize for. Remember, it was guilt that led to Atlantis Complex in the first place.” He paused. “But if you feel the need, I’m not the one to talk to.” 

“What do you mean?”

A voice sounded from behind him. “Artemis?” 

He whirled around. Minerva stood in the doorway, her hair falling around her face as if she had only recently awoken. Artemis turned back to Butler, who winked.

“I’ll be in the mess hall.” He jabbed a thumb at the hallway. “See you later.”

He strode off, leaving Artemis and Minerva standing awkwardly on opposite sides of the room.

Minerva nodded at the window. “The city is beautiful, no? I’ve always wondered what Haven looked like.”

Artemis found himself nodding. “Indeed. It takes my breath away.” He stepped to the glass, admiring the city, and she followed, limping slightly. 

Minrva breathed deeply, clutching the window sill like a lifeline. “Artemis-” she began.

“Minerva-” he said in the same instant. They fell into an awkward silence, each waiting for the other to speak.

“You first.” Minerva flapped her hand at him, ducking her head to hide the blush forming on her cheeks.

Artemis shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. “I just wanted to say… well, I wanted to thank you. Butler told me what you did. You saved me, despite the risk. Because of you, I am alive today.” 

“Forget about it. It is what friends do, no?” 

“Yes,” said Artemis. “What friends do.”

“Good friends.”

“Excellent friends.” 

She laughed. “Perhaps.” She looked at him, a strange expression on her face. And, suddenly, she reached out and took his hand.

That was all. But it meant the world, somehow. Strange how ten fingers could link two people’s hearts.

And Artemis smiled.

Behind the monitor in Police Plaza, Foaly slipped Holly a gold coin. She pocketed it without a glance.

“Shall we go?” he asked. “Believe me, Haven City is even more remarkable in  _ propria persona _ .”

“Sounds delightful,” she decided, and they departed. Ready to face the world, and whatever else might be waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short final chapter, but I'm happy with it, and I hope you guys are too. Thank you so much for giving my story a try! Your comments and kudos have meant a lot.
> 
> Also, would anyone be interested in some deleted scenes?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I've discussed the possibility of posting some deleted scenes with a few of you, and it seemed like a fairly popular idea, so here goes nothing.  
> The following scene takes place immediately after Butler calls Minerva, before she meets Juliet.

Minerva heaved open her window, grateful that her room was on the first floor.  She was halfway through the aperture when a familiar voice rang out from behind her.

“Minerva, what do you think you are doing?”

The girl froze. It was Mailys, her stepmother.

Minerva turned slowly, seeing Mailys standing, hands akimbo, in the doorway. The hallway light cast her as an eerie silhouette, ghostlike in a white nightdress.

“Mailys. This is not what it looks like.”

“What else could it be? Sneaking out in the dead of night? It isn’t even three in the morning. And who called? I heard your ringtone from the far side of the chateau. Don’t tell me you’re off to see a boy. Is it that Artemis you constantly speak of?”

The darkness hid Minerva’s fiery blush. “No- yes, but not- No! No, of course not!”

Mailys stepped into the room. Minerva couldn't make out her face, but she felt sure that her stepmother was frowning. “Minerva, be honest with me. Does this have anything to do with Artemis Fowl?”

Minerva’s fingers clutched the window frame tight enough to turn her fingers white. “Mailys, I can’t do this right now. I will explain later.” She turned around again and made to slide out the window frame. Mailys took several quick steps across the room and seized her jacket. Minerva lost her balance, toppling back inside. “ _Mon Dieu_ , Mailys!” she said indignantly, shoving her glasses back into place. “Has it occurred to you that perhaps I have good reason for this? I am not a simpering schoolgirl. I have multiple degrees, _pour l’amour du ciel_! Don' t pretend you are smarter than I am.”

“Intelligence does not make up for your age. You are sixteen, and you will not leave this house in the dead of night without explaining to me and your father.”

Minerva took several deep breaths, then sat herself down on the window ledge. “Fine. Artemis is in trouble. Don’t ask for details- I hardly know anything myself. But he needs me.“

Mailys sat down beside her stepdaughter. “I know Artemis understands you as even your father and I cannot. But is this your battle to fight?”

Minerva sighed. “I can’t say. Usually I can solve my problems with a set of calculations, but this is different. And more difficult.”

A smile on her lips, Mailys shook her head. “Then go, _ma brave fille_. Save Artemis. Just promise me you’ll stay safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene was deleted for a few reasons.  
> 1) It slowed down the narrative, and wasn't really necessary. Because Mailys doesn't appear again, her sudden presence for this scene alone was random and jarring.  
> 2) I personally don't have any stepfamily, and didn't feel I was the right person to depict the relationship between stepmother and stepdaughter (for those of you more familiar with the matter, let me know if anything here should be changed!)  
> 3) I don't speak French, and just to be safe, I wanted to cut down on any possibly inaccurate usage of the language.  
> 4) While I love the idea of Minerva and Artemis being teased about their relationship (romantic or platonic), I didn't intend for this to be a majorly ship-focused work, and Mailys' comments and Minerva's embarrassment pushed it a little too far.
> 
> That being said, I've always wondered about the story of Minerva's mother- why she chose to leave, how it affected her husband and children, and how her absence continued to affect the family.
> 
> Also, a fun fact: in the very first draft, when I was making things up as I went along, Minerva was staying with relatives in Illinois, and her cousin Noemi accompanied her for the entire fic. Don't ask me why- Noemi served literally no purpose. Apparently it seemed like a good idea at the time?


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update: I forgot to put these in chronological order adsfhasdfkhasdkfh oops  
> Here's another deleted scene- the original beginning, before Butler wakes up.

**Dalkey Island, Ireland**

The full moon holds great significance to fairykind.

It is a key factor in the ritual, by which they refuel their magic. It was sacred to King Frond, their legendary leaders. To demons, the eighth family, it is the home of their ancestors, and exerts an eternal pull on their minds.

To Artemis Fowl, it was a convenient source of light.

It shone directly through his window, providing just enough light to invent by.  _ That should be ‘by which to invent,’ _ he corrected himself, fiddling with his microscope. He twiddled the dial until the bacteria sample came into focus. Perfect. 

To anyone else, the smudge on the slide would seem like nothing more than a streak of dirt, but Artemis knew better. It was a fungal-bacterial hybrid he was in hopes of improving before next week, by which time Minerva had bet him he couldn’t develop an organism that emitted antidepressant negatively-charged ions through their own metabolism. The cost of losing was a paper investigating and praising the other’s research, a challenge Artemis was ready to take on. On the other hand, he was well aware the hybrid could quite possibly prove combustible, and he was determined to ensure that Butler did not hear of it.

As if on cue, his bodyguard’s gravelly voice cut through the shadows. “Artemis? Artemis, are you awake?”

Artemis whirled around, blocking the workspace from his bodyguard’s sight. “Ah, Butler, old friend. Good evening. Or shall I say morning. I was... admiring the view. Of the moon.” Too late, he remembered his safety goggles and whipped them off, lobbing them behind him. Something shattered, then sizzled ominously.  _ I do hope that didn’t land in the autoclave. _

“We have to leave,” Butler said grimly. “Now.” He made no mention of the bubbling chemicals behind his charge.

Artemis stepped forward, forgetting the experiment. He was still in his pajamas, a matching silk set that would have mortified him had it been anyone else. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes,” Butler answered tersely. “Follow me.”

Artemis’s brow furrowed. “What is it, old friend? Has something happened to the twins? My parents?” The self-centered intellectual in him registered that he himself might be in danger, but that concern took a backseat to his family’s well-being.

“They’re fine, sir. But we have to go. Come this way.”  _ Sir? _ Butler hadn’t called him ‘sir’ in years. 

Artemis complied, following Butler’s lead through the house and out into the night. His intellect buzzed, tossing up a dozen possible explanations. He scrutinized and rejected each one.

Something was most definitely out of place, but what? If the danger was imminent, they would be departing in haste, not ambling along. But if there was plenty of time, why not explain?

The answer sprung into his consciousness, and it’s implications rooted him to the marble floor.  _ Butler is  _ mesmerized. 

With the revelation came a flurry of questions. _ By whom? And why? _

__ First he would have to be sure of the spell. Then he could start evaluating the less immediate details.

“Butler,” he began, taking a cautious step forward. “Let me see your eyes…”

The bodyguard turned around and studied the boy for a minute. Artemis felt uncomfortably like a deer in headlights, waiting for the inevitable impact. “Butler-”

In a blur of shadow and flesh, something solid cracked against his skull, sending him to his knees. He glanced up through a haze of pain, just in time to make out the barrel of Butler’s Sig Sauer flying toward him. Then- nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene simply didn't click. There wasn't anything wrong with it, per se, but I couldn't get the first few sentences in particular to really work right. It felt forced to write and read. Also, I tried to make Artemis's flustered manner a point of humor, but it wasn't the right place for it, and ended up being more OOC than anything.


End file.
